Time and tide wait for one man
“Behold you are beautiful, my love, behold you are beautiful.”
Song of Songs 4:1
Picture the scene. You are straining at the oars, your strength leaking from the boat into the strong, the too strong, sea. “All is in vain,” bites the wind. Here is the chaos of inevitability. This is the raging of nations, kingdoms tottering, plotting against the Lord and his anointed. Mountains are being moved into the heart of the sea, the waters roar and foam. The embrace of fathoms beneath is all we should expect as we gnash our clenched teeth, far from home.
But look, behold! Yes, move towards holding the One walking on the swelling seas. Who is like him? Who can be compared to him? When he acts, who can reverse it? The tempest’s fury flees every which way, and the white horses bolt, terror in the eyes of the horse and rider thrown down into the sea.
It is I Am. Do not be afraid. Behold these feet. How blessed are these feet? The feet of the messenger standing on the blue-green mountains, publishing peace, calling to Zion, “Your God reigns.” Eye to eye will see it. Everyone will see it. Watchmen and watchmakers alike. Now is the time. Behold these feet. Fall at these feet, for they are nail-pierced and burnished bronze. They have walked places that you can not fathom for your salvation. Now he comes towards you. See how the H2O molecules behave. H to the Oh. They all, as one, move to kiss and hold these feet. They cast their crowns of electrons and become so still. Glass-like. The Son can do nothing on his own he only does what he sees the Father doing. Underneath this glass, deeper still, are the everlasting arms, lifting up and eternally loving the Son. It is I Am. Do not be afraid.
Speaking of glass, there is an amphitheatre of the ages in the heart of Heavenly Zion. It behaves like the petals of a flower. She opens for and receives the glorious light of the Lord, the way of wife receives her husband, and two become one. She is beautiful. Her love is fragrant. God is in the midst of her, she shall never be moved. At the centre of this stage stands One in the order of Melchizedek, the priest-king come to bless with bread and wine. He is the priest of all priests, and he takes the fruit of the vine and the baker's unleavened hurry. He takes the ordinary and lifts them both to become extraordinary, and so are we. Changed. There are no spectators in this amphitheatre. In a glorious rip current you cannot fight, we fill from our seats down to this altar and enter in, gathered by a wave to end all waves. It claws back the very depths of the earth to reveal her foundations and the smile of wisdom. In the heart of eternity there is a cross and a Lamb upon it, in all his glory. Time, the planets and every constellation are in the orbit of this Lamb. Re-membered, our priest breaks his bread and the wave reaches its crescendo to spill into light unspeakably bright, for we are all drawn up into his cup and ring out our thanksgiving. Behold! A running Father comes to embrace his Son. He will never stop kissing us as we eternally look upon joy unspeakable, light unapproachable, Treasure forever more.